


Opposites Attract

by sobachka



Series: Zoyalai Works [1]
Category: Nikolai Series - Leigh Bardugo, The Grisha Trilogy - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: F/M, also zoyalai is married oops, i wrote a thing, there's a swordfight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:20:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24004999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sobachka/pseuds/sobachka
Summary: Zoyalai tumblr requestPrompt: "how is my wife more badass than me?"enjoy~
Relationships: Nikolai Lantsov/Zoya Nazyalensky
Series: Zoyalai Works [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1789732
Comments: 4
Kudos: 45





	Opposites Attract

“How,” said Nikolai with a pout “is my wife more badass than me?”

He was watching Zoya train, and just as the words left his mouth, Zoya swung her short sword again, spinning in a perfect circle, her hair, tied back though it was, flying around her face as she did, then struck her opponent with the hilt, directly in the chest.

The guard she was training with gasped, then was thrown into a coughing fit, as Zoya’s hilt had found his sternum. She flipped her hair over her shoulder with little concern, then headed back to the bench for some water, deeming the battle won.

David, who had been on the receiving end of most of Nikolai’s pining, put his hand out to pat the King’s shoulder awkwardly, not glancing away from the book he was reading.

“Opposites attract, Your Highness” he murmured, and Nikolai cast him an irritated look, which he did not bother to acknowledge.

“Lantsov,” called a voice, and Nikolai looked up to find Zoya striding towards him, her blue eyes ablaze with adrenaline and her deep brown skin shining with sweat. She looked stunning, even in just army pants and a tank top that hung low enough for his mind to wander.

“She notices me!” Nikolai said, with a merry grin, “was it my devilish smile? The hair? I’ve been told I have lovely eyes,”

Zoya only cocked a brow at him, looking unamused, and said “I need to train with someone who won’t pull his punches with the Queen,”

She said the last part loudly, and glared at the guard she’d been training with, who flushed red instantly, as if caught mid-theft. Nikolai’s eyes strayed back to Zoya’s, and for just a second he caught the glimmer of a dragon’s eye framed by her long, dark lashes.

He suspected the guard had not been the only one pulling his punches.

“Just admit I’m your only worthy opponent, Zoya,” Nikolai said, hopping over the wooden barrier that circled the training ground, and picking up a cutlass, allowing his fingers to curl over the familiar grip, his body balanced by its weight. It was a pirate’s sword, but he’d had this one especially made to look more regal, so if the King were to train and fight with it, none would find it at all suspicious. He could fight just as excellently with any other, but this was Sturmhond’s, and it held a special place in Nikolai’s heart.

“Worthy is a very broad term,” she said, picking up her own short-sword, its handle engraved with dark blue gems. He had had it made for her, molded to the shape of her hand, and Nikolai was certain she had not used another since. When asked, however, she claimed the others were out of reach, and she wanted to be quick about her training.

“Decent, at the least?” Nikolai inquired, as Zoya got into position, one foot in front of the other, her grip on the sword firm. Before Nikolai could move, she had swung, arcing her sword upward, but he caught it easily, the metal blades scraping against each other loudly.

“Quite.” Zoya remarked, pulling back, then advancing with an overhead cut. As a soldier of the Second Army, she had been trained for a battle with her Grisha powers to defend her, but Zoya had insisted that if she was to be his queen, she would need to learn how to fight properly. And though she would not admit it, Nikolai suspected this was due mostly to her attentive, somewhat wary, approach to the newly acquired powers of the Dragon.

He deflected, one arm sliding behind his back to balance him, the way his instructor had taught him. _Like a prince,_ the old man had said, straightening his own posture.

Then, when Zoya had shifted position to advance again, Nikolai thrust forward, taking Zoya off-guard, _like a pirate,_ he mused. Zoya caught on quickly, then parried, stepping back and allowing him to advance before whipping her sword back and ducking just as he thrust again.

Then, to his astonishment, Zoya swung a leg out and caught the back of his knees, Nikolai let out a surprised cry, falling back onto the hard cemented ground with an _oof._

Zoya crouched over him, smirking to herself, and cocked a brow at him from above. His head had struck the ground painfully, and he wondered if it would bruise.

“I yield!” he cried with exaggerated pain, throwing a hand over his forehead for emphasis.

“Oh, to die with such eyes staring wickedly into my own, what a cruel joke of the world that I should have loved those eyes so dearly!”

“Oh, shut up Nikolai,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“Such harsh words at the end of a man’s life! Oh if those lips would but kiss instead of scorn, then I-”

Before he could say another word, and to his own utter astonishment, Zoya pressed her lips to his, silencing him. 

When she pulled away, he could only blink up at her with surprise.

“I rather like it when you’re quiet like this,” she said mournfully, “if only you’d do it more often,”

Then, she stood and stalked away, and the King of Ravka was left grinning stupidly at her retreating form.


End file.
